Playing his heart out:Dellan Whatley played one minute in Morgan Park's 52-46 semifinal victory Friday against Orr. On Saturday, the senior guard didn't play much more but found a way to contribute. His team trailing 39-28, Whatley entered the game with 1 minute, 38 seconds left in the third quarter. He played a few seconds, went to the bench and returned to score two straight layups and record a steal in the final 16 seconds of the quarter.

"The gamble I made was by putting Dellan Whatley in," Morgan Park coach Nick Irvin said. "He's a heck of a defender, and I told him to just do your job and get after it and he did. I'm proud of him. He's been through a lot all year. He was supposed to be one of my key guys. He's had a lot of ups and downs. I told him one day that it will pay off."

Whatley's grandmother, whom he called his glue, died Wednesday.

"I'm going to really miss her," Whatley said. "Her funeral was (Friday) and all I thought about was her. I knew she wanted me to play this game, and I did it for her."

Picking a school: Six-foot-7 Morgan Park senior forward Josh Cunningham capped his career with two straight state titles. Now, Cunningham plans to put his attention to selecting a college. Indiana coach Tom Crean attended Tuesday's game against Bogan. Indiana had a different assistant coach present each day at the state tournament.

"In a few weeks, once I sit down with my mom and Nick (Irvin), then I will come to a decision," Cunningham said. "I will then announce to everybody where I'm going. Nothing has changed. Yes, (Indiana) is after me pretty hard."

Making a statement: Last season, Irvin spent several minutes following the Class 3A state championship game win against Cahokia campaigning for another title.

"We're the best team in the state — nobody else — and we're the best team on Vincennes (Avenue)," Irvin said last year in reference to Simeon, which is on the same street.

After the Mustangs defeated Lincoln 59-49 Saturday for the school's second straight state championship, Irvin's tone was more subdued.

"State title is what it is all about," Irvin said. "I talk with (Simeon coach) Rob (Smith) a lot, and he always says, 'I got state titles". City is OK, but state is the best thing right now. Growing up, I always wanted to be a state champion, and winning two in a row is sweet."